Sheffield United Vs Chelsea
Sheffield United Vs Chelsea Sunday 7th February 2021 – 19:15 (Sky Sports)
English Premier League
Pick: Sheffield United +1 (Asian Handicap)
Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: 888Sport
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 5th February 2021)
Preview: The penultimate fixture from the English Premier League this weekend focuses on the battle for survival and top-four, as bottom side Sheffield United look to sustain their recent positive momentum when they take on a Chelsea team currently enjoying life under fresh management.
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Table of Contents
Sheffield United – Blades up for the fight?
Last Tuesday’s hard-fought and vitally important victory in their basement battle with West Brom, in which second-half goals from Jayden Bogle and Billy Sharp turned a 1-0 half-time deficit into a 2-1 win here in South Yorkshire, prompted their manager to declare them ‘alive and kicking and fighting for their lives.’ While there may be some truth to those comments, there is no escaping cold hard reality.
Despite their midweek success, Sheffield United (W3 D2 L17) remain bottom of the Premier League, a point behind West Brom, in 19th, and eleven shy of 17th-placed Burnley and safety. Retaining their top-flight status is still going to be an enormous task. Yet they’ve given themselves a chance – and, crucially, hope – after claiming five wins across their past seven competitive matches in league and the FA Cup.
In the league, the Blades have won three of the last five which is a huge improvement on their first seventeen games of the season, when they failed to win at all after picking up two of a possible 51 points. Here at Bramall Lane meanwhile, Chris Wilder’s side have recently beaten Newcastle and West Brom while also falling to a slightly harsh 3-1 defeat to Spurs, who only marginally shaded the xG count.
Chelsea – Patient Blues creeping back into top-four talk?
Back-to-back wins under the new manager, who is now three unbeaten after a goalless draw with Wolves in his opening match in charge, has Chelsea (W10 D6 L6) well and truly back in the hunt for a top-four finish. The Blues eased to a 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday to move within four points of Liverpool in fourth, who face league leaders Man City earlier in the day.
So far, the approach from Chelsea since the appointment of their German manager has been fairly simple: retain possession and remain patient. It isn’t exactly swashbuckling. It has, however, proven very effective, limiting their first three opponents – Burnley and Wolves at home, Spurs away – to zero goals, two shots on target and an average xGC of 0.47 as Tuchel quickly sets about putting his own mark on this team.
Further encouragement awaits on Sunday. Chelsea, who last registered three consecutive league wins in November, face bottom side Sheffield United having claimed maximum points on 10 of the last 12 occasions they have faced the side beginning the day bottom. They have also lost only once in their last 23 meetings versus sides from Yorkshire – though that did occur at Bramall Lane last season (3-0).
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Sheffield United Vs Chelsea Betting Advice
By now Chelsea should be accustomed to teams sitting back and putting numbers behind the ball in an attempt to limit the space afford to their attackers. Since Tuchel’s appointment, the Blues have faced the low blocks of Burnley and Spurs. Even Wolves were hemmed in their own half for most of the proceedings at Stamford Bridge. Expect something similar from Sheffield United, only with a slight twist.
Sheffield United Vs Chelsea – Key Facts:
- Three of the four Premier League meetings held at Bramall Lane were won by the home side, Sheffield United, while none of the past 15 meetings here ended as a draw.
- In the three games since Thomas Tuchel was appointed manager, Chelsea have collected seven points from nine (W2 D1) and kept three consecutive clean sheets.
- On the six previous occasions these two clubs have met in the Premier League in South Yorkshire, only one produced both teams scoring with 2019-20 seeing a 3-0 win for the hosts.
That fighting talk Chris Wilder keeps mentioning has certainly been in evidence of late, and the Blades seem primed to deliver a sterner examination to Chelsea’s encouraging start under new management than those who went before them. Sheffield United boast five wins in seven matches, winning two of the last three at Bramall Lane, and are fancied to keep it close against opposition who have been effective but unspectacular.
Best Betting Odds – Sheffield United Vs Chelsea
Sheffield United – 6/1 (PaddyPower)
Draw – 10/3 (BetVictor)
Chelsea – 1/2 (BetFred)
